Dropped images, Multiple Color Plates

stonetones58

New member
Just installed new CTP system -- Kodak EVO. While we have PREPs that came with the equipment, we still try to do our stripping in Quark Express by making a PDF of the original files, then placing those in a stripping document. In the old days we would just print to the RIP and everything worked fine, however, to send to the new system, we make a new PDF and send it over to make plates. Seems simple, doesn't it?

Problems encountered are as follows:

1) Sometimes, not all images from the first PDF make it to the plate

2) Spot colors sometimes make 'extra' spot color plates or original spot colors automatically convert to CMYK (almost like making the new PDF lost the color tag information)

3) Black types occasionally 'spreads'

Mostly concerned though about item no. 1.
In theory what we are doing should still work without having to set up a bunch of PREPs templates, but people are starting to lose hair over this!
 
Re: Dropped images, Multiple Color Plates

Quark IMO is the worst program to use for a PDF workflow. Try doing you "stripping" in InDesign and I think your issues will go away.
 
Re: Dropped images, Multiple Color Plates

I agree with Almaink, try to do your impositions in Indesign and see what kind of results you get..

if you have to stick with Quark, be sure ALL OPI options are turned off when exporting files.
 
Re: Dropped images, Multiple Color Plates

Well, we had the same thing happen in InDesign on a project. They sent in a PDF and we dropped the PDFs on our color proofer, but then the customer wanted color bars added. Our operator put the PDF in an InDesign document, added a color bar that was created in Illustrator and output the plates. Several of the photos (of outlined vases) in the PDF had drop shadows that disappeared. Then there was a head that had been created that kept the drop shadow but dropped the type... kept some of the knockout information though. Need to check the OPI settings.

Also, I wasn't sure if "flattening" or "transparency" settings had anything to do with this.

Edited by: G Stone on Mar 12, 2008 8:05 AM
 
Re: Dropped images, Multiple Color Plates

More info is needed. The dropped shadow was it created in Illustrator? Was this a process job or spot color? Dropped KO text could be a result of an overprint setting on the white. Kinda hard to pre-flight issues like this without seeing the file in question.
 
Re: Dropped images, Multiple Color Plates

Without more information or the file, my initial GUESS is that the original
PDF contained live transparency and however the PDF was produced from ID
that was messed up.

Leonard
 
Re: Dropped images, Multiple Color Plates

Use Preps, once you have set up your templates it would be so much easier.

If unsure get as much training from Kodak as possible after all they make Preps and Evo so should all work together properly.

Ajr
 
Re: Dropped images, Multiple Color Plates

Okay, here is what I have found out. While I don't know what program was originally used, as the customer sent in the original PDF, I was able to fix the results in the following manner:

The person who originally make the second PDF from the INDD files used settings that we use to use for our Agfa Imagesetter. When I generated a PDF using those settings, I got the same results.

I then made a new PDF using the default PDF/x settings. In the second example, everything came back up like it was suppose to. My guess is that something either with transparency or flattening was fixed using the PDF/x settings.
 

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